St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-02-19
MARL AS a FERTILIZER.
A Species of Earth to Which Little Atten-
ton Is Paid in the West

mixture of carbonate OF lime, cray anu
siIicious sand. According as the llme'
CLAW or sand predominatcs the mari Is
classed as calcareous, clayey or sandy.
The carbonate of lime is often in the
form of minute shells, whose structure
may be clearly seen by the aid of
magnifying-glass. A very valuable
mari, known as ''grecn sand, is 1ouno
in many parts of New Jersey. 1t IS the
result of decomposition of rocks con-
tanning lime and silica. In portions
of Canada whitish clayey mari is
found which produces excellent results
when applied to land devoted to grass
or grain. The value of mari rs fer
tilizer was known to the ancient no
mans. 1t was also used by the ancient
Gauls and Britons, though they prac-
ticed a very rude sort of husbandry and
made very little use of common ma
nurc. In Germany, France and Great
Britain much attention has been gwen
to mari Specimens from all the large
deposits have been analysed in order to
ascertain their commercial value. In
many places where there are good facll-
tiles for transportation it An article
of commerce, and many marl-beds are
sources of wealth to their owners.
That vast quantities of excellent
mari exist in various parts Of the West
is altogether likely, though few at
tempts have been made to discover or
utilize them. Mari is often found at
the bottom of peat or muck sWamps,
and in ravines and other low places.
1t is generally found quite near ths
surface, being covered by some vegeta-
BILE formations. Sometimes there 10
nothing but turf of grass over 1t. Ii
is ordinarily of a slate or blush white
color, heavy, wet and somewhat spon-
gy. It's surface is sometimes blackened
by the dark soil that rests upon it or
the humus that has been deposited on
it. On exposure to the air on dry
spot of land it parts with its moisture
and becomes white crumbly mass.
and quite light in weight. In this con-
dition it is easily spread over the land.
1t is common practice TO dig mari in
the fall, to draw it to the places where
it is wanted, and to allow it to remain
in heaps like manure till the following
spring, when it is spread over the green
sward or plowed land. If the land is
hillv or sloping, most of the mari is
applied to the higher portions, from
which it will gradually find its way to
those that are lower On level land it
should be spread uniformly over all the
surface.
To distinguish mari from whitish clay
or sandy loamitis only necessary topour
any kind of acid on a sample OF it
placed in cup. If it is mari it will
effervensce like ordinary limestone or
carbonate of soda. This efervesence IS
caused by the escape of carbonic acid
from the carbonate of lime, of which
the mari is largely composed. If there
is much effervensce the mari is consld-
cred rich; if there is but little it is
regarded as poor. The value of mari
is generally rated by the amount OF
carbonate of lime it contains. Shell
mari generally contains small guam
tity of phosphoric acid, which is very
valuable for producing all kinds of
crops, but is especially valuable for in
creasing the yield of grain. Mari pro-
duces excellent results when applied as
top dressing to grass lands, either
pasture or meadow. 1t stimulates the
growth of grass and clover and causes
them to kill out weeds and MOSES. it
does not cause grass and clover to
grow rank as they do when fresh dung
is applied to the soil, neither does it
impart disagreeable flavor to them.
Like other forms of lime, it corTects
the acidity of soils and improves the
quality while it increases the quantity
of the most valuable plants. Grass on
land that has received one application
of mari is generally of rich green
color, sweet an thick.
Mari should not be mixed with ordi-
nary manure, as it is likely to drive off
the ammonia it contains. If mixed with
peat or muck, however, it produces
good effect Applied to land under
cultivation, it benefits the soil in two
ways. It is of physical advantage in
rendering hard, clayey soils more loose
so they can be more readily worked.
Chemically it affords food to most
plants, as the grains, grasses and
clovers, while it performs an important
office in fastening the decay of vege-
table matter on which plants feed.
Cold and damp soils are greatly bene-
fitted by an application of mari. 1t
neutralizes the acids found in humus
and enables it to produce valuable
crops. An application of mari to land
produces an immediate effect on the
CROP growing on it. Its beneficial in